Angels and Devils (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 7. On Display

After his hearing changed and his sight improved, things seemed to settle down. Harry had gone without any alterations for five days before things took a turn for the even more bizarre. It was so ridiculous in fact, that he managed to put it down to not paying attention or bad luck for nearly an entire week.

They may have ended up fighting on the same side in the war, but that didn't mean that the seventh year of Slytherin would even pass the time of day with the seventh year of Gryffindor; the prejudices were too well ingrained on both sides. The fact that the Slytherin turn around to the side of the light had been led by Draco Malfoy did not mean that he and Harry were ever going to pass pleasantries in the hall. Which was why when Harry found himself looking at the sarcastic git in any way but with distaste, he shocked himself. Then, when he discovered that he was going out of his way to be in the same place as the Prince of Slytherin he had known he was in trouble, but worse than that, over the course of the week of denial he found himself doing the strangest things.

Harry kept his head down in Potions; it was a fact of his life. Snape hated him even though they had been allies and if he so much as breathed out of place the head of Slytherin relished in taking house points. Then one day just after he had started denying that he wanted anything to do with Malfoy, Harry spoke up in Snape's class for the first time. The really bizarre thing was that he managed it in such a way that the potions master couldn't penalise him.

The answer to one of Snape's questions had leapt into his head and before he realised what he was doing he'd stuck up his hand. It had been a question designed for Malfoy, who was the unchallenged potions king (the blond boy was a genius when it came to his house master's class) and Snape had obviously thought the only other person who could answer would have been Hermione, whom he always ignored.

Harry was pretty sure that Snape had only let him answer because the man assumed he would answer incorrectly. Even Malfoy had looked impressed when he gave the correct response, which had, worryingly, pleased Harry no end. That had been the first incident of several. What was more worrying was that Harry found himself with his nose in books so he would be ready for the next time as well.

It wasn't just potions either. Harry eventually had to admit to himself that it was every subject he had with Malfoy. It felt strangely to him as if he was trying to prove his worth to his Slytherin nemesis, which he really didn't want to consider too closely. And it happened out of the classroom as well. Twice he had suddenly realised he was trying to attract the other boy's attention.

Harry felt as if he was going slightly mad.

He had heard all the bad things about eavesdropping and he really tried not to do it, but when his name popped up in conversation, he always seemed to zero in. He was walking to dinner with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his new jeans and his head down, trying to forget that he was going stark raving bonkers, when he heard himself referenced by another voice.

Harry had been finishing a paragraph of his homework when the others had left to walk to the Great Hall so he was a good hundred yards behind them, round a corner or two, and they had no idea he could hear them.

"It's like we're not even in the same class anymore," Seamus bemoaned just after having uttered a sentence containing Harry's name.

"I just wish he'd pick someone and let the rest of us back in the game," agreed Dean mournfully.

Ever since he had broken up with Ginny, the artistic Gryffindor had been chasing a fair amount of skirt, as his Irish dorm mate put it so colourfully. Harry felt sorry for his friends, he really did, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"It's not Harry's fault he went through a growth spurt," Ron defended him in true best friend fashion.

"You have nothing to worry about," Seamus pointed out loudly, "you're firmly attached. Harry needs to choose, and he needs to choose soon."